Daryl Murphy would replicate Thierry Henry handball

Daryl Murphy wouldn’t hesitate. Not for a second.

If the opportunity arose, and the Ipswich striker had to channel his inner Thierry Henry by using a hand to score in Lyon today, it would be as automatic as getting out of bed.

“If I had to do it I would, 100%,” he admits, “if my country was going through.”

Most professional footballers would do the same - Shane Long said yesterday that he understood why Henry did what he did against Ireland in Paris seven years ago - and then there is the fact that Murphy would dearly love a goal of any hue right now.

Now 22 games into his senior Irish career, the Waterford man has yet to break his duck even if it should be pointed out that 13 of those appearances have seen him sprung from the bench.

He thought he’d done it in Lille, rising impressively to meet Robbie Brady’s outswinger with his head only for the Italian goalkeeper to guide the ball over the crossbar. What can he do but keep trying?

The opportunity to start in Lille came as a surprise but Murphy didn’t let it pass. It didn’t look easy keeping his feet on a poor surface and with his back to goal, but he did it effectively while offering the usual threat in the air.

The first goal may continue to evade him but just making an appearance for his country on such an elevated stage as this was a victory in itself for a player who had to take a long, circular route to the top.

He was just 19 when homesickness prompted him home to play with Waterford United after three years with Luton Town. All he wanted at the time was to be surrounded by his friends and family and to enjoy his football again.

“Then things just happened from there. Jimmy McGeough was the manager at Waterford United. A bit mad but he was good. The main person who made a difference to me was Alan Reynolds, when he took over.

“From day one when he came in, he called me into his office and told me he I was the number one man. Simple as that. It gave me a lift straight away knowing that the manager has confidence in you and you are going to be his main player.”

He may be 33, but he has no intention of calling time on his international career once the summer is out. “I’m going to play for as long as I can or as long as I am wanted,” he said before redirecting the conversation back to today.

“This is what it’s all about. This is what you play international football for, to play in games like this, at this stage against teams of this calibre. You couldn’t wish for any more. Of course we can take them, we have to believe we can.

“You take the game the other day: probably not many people thought we’d beat Italy but we believed we would and we have done that.

“It’s a different story now, France, the home nation, and it’s going to be very hard but we believe we can beat them.”